******************************************************************Planning any travel out of the USA?  What is required to cross the border, the pros the cons and the fees.  The law states:  On June 1, 2009, the U.S. government will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). The proposed rules requires U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have a passport, passport card, or other travel documents approved by the Department of Homeland Security.
You basically have four options:                                          
1.      Passport:                             $100.00 plus photo
2.      Passport card:                      $45.00 plus photo
3.      Washington EDL:               $60.00 (your DL is $25.00 of that price, so $35.00)
4.      NEXUS:                               $50.00 (Can’t use it to enter Canada yet)  
Washington EDL   My personal favorite and suggestion, it is cheaper and fits in your wallet.  You must make an appointment and the process is easy.  At the appointment you must bring proof of residency (property tax form, utility bill, etc), proof of citizenship, and your Washington driver’s license.  http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/edl.html
NEXUS is nice so you don’t have to wait at the border in either direction, but NEXUS alone is no guarantee for entry into Canada.  The Canadians still may require proof of Citizenship.  If you apply on-line you can have the card in less than three weeks.
http://www.getnexus.com
Passport and Passport Card In my opinion the Passport is only good for Air Travel.  If you don’t fly it is a waste.  http://www.usps.com/passport
Bob Bayne
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